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Thursday, March 29, 2012

and Happy Thursday!! It's almost Friday and I, for one, can't wait for the weekend to start. I have so many projects to get to and chores to complete that I hope to be able to squeeze in some family fun time!!

Anyway, I wanted to share a card I made using a TiddlyInks image that I purchased a while back ago and forgot I had it. Her name is "Awwww Thanks TiddlyInks" and you can purchase her on their website.

Using Pink Paislee's Indigo Bleu paper pad I was able to create a very simple card. It might look a little busy, but that's because of all the layering. I added Recollections brads in each corner, some mustard fancy lace and a pretty Petaloo flower to accent the card.

I hope you all are inspired to make something blue and yellow and come back again for more project shares.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

10 days ago, while I colored this digital stamp by Tiddly Inks, I decided I would take photos every step of the way; and it was actually super easy to do. Let me know if you like this style of blogging or if you would just rather see the finished card?! If I get enough positive feedback, I'll be glad to do coloring "tutorials" more often.

Wasn't that fun?

If you scroll down fast you can probably see the coloring come to life! lol

Below is the finished card, that I have entered into a few challenges.

Monday, March 26, 2012

I'm excited to show you today's Karber DigitalDT card. I will be completely honest and say that I have had no mojo for the past week or so. With hurting my back and not being independent for 2 weeks, then getting sick with a bad cold, March has been a very tough month for me. I have been making time (here and there) to color some images, but it wasn't until this very morning that I was able to finalize this card. It was slow at first, playing around with shapes and placement, but I'm so very glad to say that I love the way it came out.

The colors are bright, fun and Springy. The image, "Easter Bunny" is so adorably cute. The layout is simple, yet very detailed. I am very happy with the turn-out and I'll even dare to say I might be getting some mojo back!! lol.

The paper I used came from Echo Park's 6x6 "A Walk In The Park" pad. I used Spellbinders scalloped circles to frame the bunny, Swiss Dots embossing folder for the bunny background, a 3 flower punch by Stampin' Up with Queen & Co. pearls, and an Easter cardstock sticker by The Paper Studio. To add more interest to the card (since it looked very simple), I also added black faux stitching.

If you are interested in this image just click HERE and it will take you directly to the page. I will mention that Karber Digital is having a sale on their Easter digis, so take advantage!!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

I've had today's card completed since last week, but have been very busy working on other things.

(click photos to enlarge)

Today's card is not my style of crafting. It's very vintage shabby; from the colors to the design. I don't know how it came out this way, but I still think it's cute. I started out by matching my copic colors to the paper, which is new by Prima called "Meadow Lark". I have been saying that I need more purple paper in my life and this pad is full of every shade of purple. I colored in this digital stamp (which I found on etsy) and was very intimidated to do so because of all the folds in the clothes and all the precise lines that need shadowing... something I'm still working on.

In any case, she came out absolutely adorable and I managed to take a photo (also) of my before and after. I will be keeping my "before" image in my copic book of errors! LOL. I'm just glad I didn't color her completely in before I accepted the fact that it was looking UGLY!!... haha

I like showing you the process I go through making the colors work and adding the right shading. Maybe I'll continue doing this every once in a while... or at least whenever I make a huge/ugly mistake and have to start over!! LOL

Monday, March 19, 2012

Happy Monday!!

I am excited to share today's card. Chloe Balloons is a very different digital stamp... as I colored her, it almost felt as if she's the type of person who sticks to herself and doesn't have many friends (kinda like me)... she stays behind the scenes and really just does whatever she wants that makes her happy.

I like her. And I liked coloring her, especially her balloons; to which I added stickles and glitter glue. I used the "Olivia" paper pad by Basic Grey and a Fiskars border punch. The banners were punched out by Fiskars and Spellbinders Nestabilities helped frame Chloe. I also added some Pebbles, Inc., red ribbon (which I have not done in a long time on my cards, and thought I should get into my stash and do).

The card has no definite meaning. It could be a "Congrats" card, or "Birthday". I left it open to use for a variety of occasions... because Chloe is different and quirky, I wanted the card to also be different.

I hope you go find some time to check her out, and to also check out Karber Digital and see which of their stamps speaks to you... weird, I know. Just like Chloe!! lol.

And, btw, if you didn't already know, Karber Digital has a Facebook page that shows more images and card inspirations. They also give announcements on new releases and sales. Go check them out HERE and like their page or copy/paste the following web address: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karber/171286436282409

So Sizzix and Tim Holtz have teamed up to give out some freebies relating to your Vagabond and all they ask is that the owner share a photo of where their machine is. So instead of just uploading a photo, I thought I would share with you exactly where it is.

It's behind my cricut. Why? Because after so many attempts at trying to figure out the sandwiches for embossing and cutting thin dies (like Spellbinders & MFT Stamps), I got tired of trying and resorted back to my cuttlebug (where the sandwiches can be made as you sleep). Anyway, I thought I'd share this shameful news with you blog followers in the hopes of stirring up the desire to start using my Vagabond again, and in the hopes that once I do get my freebies I'd be more willing to dust it off and get to using it.

If you're interested in the promotion that Sizzix is having, just visit THIS LINK and check it out, but please note that only those people with the actual machine will receive the freebies.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

I was browsing around blogs and google and found a few challenges that helped me create this card. So I decided I'd try it out and see how it goes.

I purchased this digital stamp on Etsy at a very affordable price a couple of weeks ago. The paper I used is SEI "A Fair Day", the ribbon is by Martha Stewart (old), and the buttons are from Doodlebug (old). I also added some glitter glue to the clouds, butterfly and grass for a little added sparkle. I think the card came out cute and I can't wait to color more of these MFT Stamps Pure Innocence stamps.

Thanks for checking in and I'll be back next week with tons more projects to share.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Hi crafters, today I want to share with you a coupon that I obtained through Stampers Best.

They are a company that makes stamps (both digital and rubber), they sell very pretty stamps for very great prices (as it is), and on top of that have given me a coupon to share with all my followers!! How sweet is that?

Anyway, just copy this coupon code: AtStudioD and go to www.StampersBest.com. Make sure you use the exact code because it is case sensitive. You will always receive 10% on every order you make, from now until forever. They also sell foam backing to mount your stamps (which I found to be such a great deal) and storage for those loose stamps that seem to get in the way of everything. They also offer free shipping with a $35 purchase.

Just take a minute to check them out and see what they have, I guarantee you will like at least ONE thing!!

Monday, March 12, 2012

I want to share a card that I made with a long distance friendship in mind. Every one of us has a friend that either live far away from us and we don't get to see them often, or have lost touch with for whatever reason. I have a few of those friends and as I made this card I thought about two of them. I miss them and their friendship, and I wanted to design a card that shows [me] at any given moment throughout my day, how and where I might be thinking of them.

This is why I chose this "SPA" image from Karber Digital to portray this scenario. She's going about her daily bedtime routine, looking out the window because she thought she saw her friend Katty.

Maybe this blog post will inspire you to reach out to an old friend; give them a call, shoot a quick email or send them a card (similar to this one) that will let them know you're thinking of them and miss them.

Friday, March 09, 2012

I spend quite a lot of time looking through blogs and on Pinterest, and one of the things that has inspired me the most on that website is layouts. It's been so long since I do layouts and I even forgot why I stopped; I think it had to do with the fact that I got into a huge card-making kick!

[click on photos to enlarge]

If you follow my pins you'd know that one of my largest boards is titled "LAYOUTS" (over 500 pins), with so many different styles and colors there to inspire me. This week, as I looked through my pins (because I wanted to create a layout using the new Pink Paislee "London Market" Collection), I found one particular layout that made me smile a little extra. It inspired me to do something very similar; a "scrap-lift", if you will.

A very talented lady by the name of Gabrielle Pollacco was kind enough to email me a couple of days ago in response to a comment I left on her blog. It was in regards to these particular butterflies she uses on her layouts. So soft and life-like. The email came with a sweet message and she even shared the file to those butterflies. I thought that was the nicest thing of her to do. I'm a stranger to her. A new blog follower and new fan. So why was she so kind to do this for me? I hadn't even asked her for the it.

[here is a photo of the gorgeous layout that inspired today's project share]

In any case, being inspired by Gabrielle's blog, her layouts and her kind nature I felt compelled to do something extra nice for someone. My intention (when I started to work on this project) was to keep it for me and hang it on my wall. But what warm feeling would that bring to the person I'm scrapping about? Instead, I decided to add more photos (because the original layout only showed one), and make it into a special birthday gift for my niece Amanda. Her 21st birthday is not until May, so I have more than enough time to buy a frame, wrap it up with pretty bows and ship it to her, but I was so happy with how it came out that I couldn't wait until May to share this with you. I don't think Amanda reads my blogs, so she will still be surprised to receive the package.

[This is a piece of ephemera from the London Market collection,
that I distressed and tucked behind the photo.
In the back is a little note I wrote to her... the continuation of "Pieces Of You..."]

I'm so grateful for everyone I've come across in this crafty community. Everyone is so kind, warm and real. I am blessed by God to have the gift of creativity and what better way to multiply my talent than by using my skills to learn, grow and share with the world. I'm thankful for all of you blog followers and youtube followers who leave me comments and always support my creativity. Your words inspire me to do more, and it is because of you that I continually strive to get better and practice in order to share with you what I love doing.

I hope I did Gabrielle's layout justice. I hope Amanda loves her gift. [And incidentally, she's also a scrapper... she likes doing scrapbook pages so I think she'll be able to appreciate it.] Even more-so, I hope to get your creative juices flowing. Stop worrying about how good or bad it might or might not look. Don't think about not having enough supplies or enough skill. Eventually you will build on all those things. If you have the desire, then do it! It's a piece of art that your family, friends and children will (years from now) look back on and smile.